At Second Sight
by Rachel9
Summary: Spike and Buffy are just recently a couple when an attack of demons threaten their relationship. Set in mid-season 6
1. Chapter 1

At Second Sight  
  
By *~Rachel*~  
  
Disclaimer: Disclaimer: Oh yes.they are ALL MINE! (Sarcastic) Haha. RIGHT. Joss Whedon, Marti Noxon, Twentieth Century Fox Productions, UPN, Sandollar Television, and Mutant Enemy own BtVS. No copyright infringements were intended. This is my story and not meant to copy the show. It's called FAN FICTION!  
  
Rating: Do you watch the show? You can read this. Maybe PG-15ish  
  
Summary: Spike and Buffy are just recently a couple when an attack of demons threaten their relationship  
  
Spoilers: This takes place in the 6th season, so I have spoilers for anyone who hasn't seen "The Gift," Some of the more important B/S episodes, and many of the rumors that are flying around for 6th season. Since I started writing this up before "Flooded," I haven't really worked the latest episodes into the story- so they aren't part of the plot.  
  
Author's Notes: _______ Signifies thoughts. Mistakes are purely my fault.I'm not the world's greatest typist. (And no beta-reader)  
  
Distribution: My site, Sinister Attraction, the groups I'm sending them out to, and....anyone else can just ask me first! (I'll probably say 'yes')  
  
Feedback? OF COURSE!  
  
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"C'mon Buffy! It's patrolling time!" Spike yelled out, walking into the Summers' home. He walked into the foyer and started up the stairs into Buffy's room.  
  
This was pretty much how their schedule went now. Ever since Willow had brought Buffy back from the dead, she had turned to Spike for comfort. At first, she was emotionally dead and lost like a child would be. Spike was the only one that understood her when she came back. Giles was gone- he had left for England about 2 months after Buffy faced off against Glory. The memories in Sunnydale were just too much for him to bear any longer. While Buffy was gone, Willow, Tara, and Xander fought to keep the house that once belonged to Buffy and Joyce Summers. The main reason that the gang wanted to keep the house was because they knew that Buffy would be brought back. With a couple of handy ingredients, they raised Buffy out of her grave.  
  
Spike was practically an extended member of the Summers' household. Every night, out of his un-devoted love for Buffy and his eternal promise towards Dawn, Spike either came over for help with patrol or to be with the ladies of the house. Obviously, times had definitely changed. Buffy welcomed and almost looked forward to seeing Spike every night.  
  
They never spoke about his love for her anymore, but there were times when Buffy would look out of the corner of her eye and catch him staring at her with such love and passion. That was the way he looked at her when she walked into the Magic Box after she had been brought back. She never spoke about it to him, but each night she started growing a little bit fonder of the bleached-blonde vampire. Whenever they weren't patrolling they would talk together on the couch- sometimes deep meaningful conversations about Buffy had felt after she had just returned from three months of being six feet under.  
  
"Hey Spike!" Dawn said, walking out of her room. She walked up to the vampire and quickly hugged him.  
  
Time passed and Spike and Dawn's relationship quickly grew into a brother- sister type of close. That summer, while Buffy was gone, Spike practically lived in the Summers' house to take care of Dawn. His promise towards Buffy haunted him in his sleep, placing a heavy burden on his shoulders. He watched out for Dawn's back, acting like a very overprotective older brother. Dawn loved it, however. He was the one that treated her like an equal and knew what she was feeling like when Buffy died. Very quickly, her teenage crush became an unconditional love for the vampire.  
  
Ug, what a poof I'm turning into, Spike thought as Dawn wrapped her arms around his waist. However, he returned the hug. "'Ello Nibblet." Spike greeted, "Big sis around?"  
  
"Yeah, she's getting ready for patrol," Dawn replied. She crossed the hallway and walked into Buffy's room. "Buffy! Spike is here!"  
  
"Yeah, hold on. I'm coming!" Buffy replied. A few minutes later, she walked out wearing a simple black outfit and a brown leather jacket.  
  
God, she gets more beautiful every night, Spike thought, his eyes looking at her from head to toe. Her face lit up when she saw Spike and he found her smile contagious- he broke into smile also. "'Ello, Slayer," Spike greeted her.  
  
"Hey Spike," Buffy replied. Buffy's eyes were sparkling tonight as she also looked at him. "Ready for patrolling?"  
  
"As always," he replied.  
  
Buffy, Spike, and Dawn started walking over towards the stairs to head downstairs. "Now Dawn..." Buffy started as they walked down the stairs. "Remember...no-"  
  
"I know, I know. No friends over, no opening doors and windows, no inviting strangers in..." Dawn said, rolling her eyes. "I got the drill, Buffy I've known about it since you became the Slayer."  
  
"Right, because they might be evil demons, Dawn. I'm just saying this for your protection."  
  
"I know, I know." Dawn replied. She bugged her sister about her being overprotective, but Dawn really didn't mind. Buffy was here, bossing her around, and it was almost like old times all over again.  
  
"I think that Willow and Tara said that they were coming over as soon as they finished a class, so expect them sometime soon." Buffy added as the three of them stood around in the foyer. Buffy packed a few extra stakes into the pockets of her jacket and opened the front door.  
  
"Okay, sounds great." Dawn replied.  
  
Buffy looked over at Spike, her heart unconsciously skipping a beat when she looked him over. "Shall we?" she asked him.  
  
"You bet, love." Spike answered. And with that, Buffy and Spike headed out the door.  
  
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	2. Chapter 2

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The two had already been patrolling in the graveyard for about one-and-a- half-hours and Buffy and Spike had only found one lousy newbie vampire. The slayer had been unusually quiet all night long, only speaking to Spike when she was forced to. Spike, however, didn't mind the silence. He was simply happy to have Buffy back and kicking.  
  
"Anything wrong, pet?" Spike asked her quietly.  
  
"No...well, I've just been thinking..." Buffy started.  
  
"And that's never a good thing, love." Spike gently teased.  
  
Buffy, however, only managed to crack a small smile before continuing. "I was starting to think...about us." Buffy said.  
  
Spike looked across to Buffy, but couldn't read her expression. "Us, pet?" Spike asked, confused. Sure, ever since she had returned they had been growing closer and closer, but what was she talking about? Did she want more? Or was he getting too close?  
  
"Yeah...uh, do you want to sit?" Buffy asked. She and Spike walked over and both of them leaned against a tombstone. "Look, uh...I've been thinking about what's been going on ever since I got back. Everyone has been getting on my case, telling me to do this and that, and be a bright, happy Slayer."  
  
"They care about you, love. It's not like they wouldn't help you," Spike said.  
  
"And I know that. I know that they care about me but...I *died*, Spike. I was dead for three months, not just one minute like last time...I was dead." Buffy argued.  
  
"I remember...it's not something I really like to think back to," Spike said, lowering his head for a second. He remembered seeing her body lying on a pile of rubble looking so peaceful. That moment, he felt anguish and heartache run through him like never before. Buffy had died...because he hadn't been able to get to Dawn and save her.  
  
"And they don't know what I went thought at all." Buffy continued. "There is just *no* way that they can even begin to understand what it was like."  
  
"Just give it time, love. Don't expect them to understand everything that you went through right away." Spike said.  
  
"I know. But you...you helped me get by. You understood what I was going through when I got back. I guess that you're the closest person I've got that's gone through the same thing." Buffy said, looking over at him.  
  
"Well, I tried my best to help you out, love." Spike said.  
  
"I know, and I am more than grateful. I think...that if I hadn't had you here, I'd be in the loony bin about now." Buffy saw Spike smile. "So, I have a lot to thank you for."  
  
Spike, slightly surprised by her kind words, stood on his feet. It hadn't been but about six months ago when Buffy had uninvited him from her home and told him to stay away from her family and friends. However, because of her death, Buffy was thinking on a higher and more sensible level. "Well, thank you, Buffy. That means a lot to me."  
  
"I...I also have a lot to make up for. I think that I've realized that life is precious and you have to act now or you might never get your chance." Buffy said, also standing up and looking at Spike. "I mean, you had to put up with a lot of crap from me back when I hated you so much back then."  
  
Spike's eyebrows raised as he looked at her for a second. "Hated? I notice that's past tense."  
  
"You did? Good." Buffy smiled at him, trying to work up the courage to keep talking to him. "Y'know...I had this whole speech planned where I gently worked my way into the real point of the conversation and...and now I think that I'm really bad at saying stuff like this."  
  
"Just say it, love," Spike said calmly.  
  
"Spike, I...I haven't opened my heart to anyone in such a long time. And since I've come back, I've discovered that it's because I'm afraid. I'm so afraid that it's going to get broken by another person again. But...*you*...I don't think that you'd ever do that to me."  
  
"You know I wouldn't," Spike assured her. And that was the truth. Spike spent over 100 years with Drusilla. Although their reasons for sticking together were somewhat different, Spike was devoted to the woman he loved. And he was still in love with Buffy.  
  
"So...I was wondering if you...if you wanted to give us-"  
  
"There's that 'us' again," Spike commented, slyly grinning at her.  
  
"Yeah. Do you want to give us a try?" Buffy finally asked.  
  
Spike's face showed surprise and confusion, and then slowly changing over to pure love for her;. No one has ever really looked at me that way, Buffy realized. "Really, love?" Spike asked.  
  
"Yes...really. Spike, I mean, I'm not 100 percent sure how I feel and what my feelings are for you exactly, but...but I'd like to find out," Buffy said.  
  
"Buffy..." Spike gasped. He stood fully upright and looked down at her. He grabbed her hand and looked into her eyes. "I'm not gonna let you down."  
  
"I believe you," Buffy said softly.  
  
"And I'm not leaving you like the Giant Poof or Captain Cardboard." Spike said. This was his big chance. Buffy was giving him more than a single crumb. This was more than he could ever ask for. And he wouldn't let her down- not again.  
  
"That's nice to know," Buffy said. "I talked with Dawn about this before you came over and she was absolutely ecstatic about the whole idea."  
  
"You told Little Bit about this?" Spike asked. This surprised him. If Buffy had talked to Dawn about this, the one person she loved more than anyone else...her family, then that must mean that she was heavily thinking about this. It meant that he meant something to her.  
  
Buffy nodded and smiled when she saw him crack a boyish smile at her. She took one more step towards him before talking again. "Hey, I just told you what was going on in my heart and soul. The least I deserve is a kiss, right?"  
  
Spike's smile doubled in size if that was even possible and his eye twinkled. "I think that can be arranged, love."  
  
Spike gathered her up into his arms before kissing her. Buffy was amazed by the passion she could feel as Spike pressed his cold lips against her warmer ones. Instantly, it was like a shock wave was racing through him when he met her warn, full lips. Buffy instantly responded, wrapping her arms around his neck as she raised her head to be closer to him. She felt as though she were on fire. So many emotions were racing throughout her mind...mostly love and want.  
  
Spike passionately and roughly kissed her, caressing her lips with his. However, throughout all of his passion, Buffy had never felt anyone treat her so gently. His hands slid around her waist, pulling her deeper into his embrace. He felt her hands travel through his hair and Spike felt as though electricity was surging through his body. Buffy felt the exact same way.  
  
For the two of them, it was an instant connection.  
  
When Spike finally pulled back, Buffy was breathing heavily. He held her close to him, kissing the top of her head.. Oh.thank God for Dawn telling me to act upon my heart instead of brain. Buffy thought. Otherwise I would have missed out on him.  
  
Spike's mind was reeling. Never had he felt like this with anyone. Drusilla was pure lust.but this incredibly woman was more than that.much more. She was giving him a chance to prove his love for her. He heard her sigh and he felt her relax in his arms. He lowered his head and kissed her forehead, dragging his fingers through her hair slowly.  
  
Oh God...Spike, Buffy thought, breathing him in. Who knew that Spike could be this way...so gentle and kind to me. Finally, she looked up into his piercing blue eyes. Woah...can we say 'drown'? Buffy thought as she smiled at him. "That was nice." She stated.  
  
"Just nice, love?" Spike asked, bumping foreheads with her.  
  
"No.much better." She corrected before smiling. She felt him kiss her cheek and move back to her lips, warming her to her soul even though there was no warmth coming from his lips. Suddenly, a rustle came from the bushes at their right. Buffy and Spike once again broke apart. "How come they always interrupt me whenever I'm busy?" Buffy complained.  
  
Buffy and Spike stepped away from each other and Spike withdrew his hands from resting on her waist. The two of them looked at where they heard the noise come from. Suddenly, two grotesque monsters lumbered out of the bushes. The two monsters growled as they approached the slayer and her vampire companion. On top of their heads were two large horns. The two were covered in a clear, glossy slime, which smelled like putrid and rotten eggs as they advanced closer towards the couple. They were clothed in rags that also were covered in that slime. "Eww!" Buffy complained when she saw the demons walking towards them.  
  
"No rest for the weary, love." Spike said as he stood in a combat position, ready to take on the fiends in front of them.  
  
"Talk later, kill now," Buffy said, running up and kicking the demon that was closest to her. The demon took a step back but retaliated with a punch and shove. Buffy went flying and landed on the ground in front of a tree. She shook her head, trying to regain her senses.  
  
Spike ran forward next, trying to get back at the demon that threw Buffy to the side of the graveyard. He punched the demon with all his might, but the demon didn't even respond to getting punched. Spike withdrew his hands, now covered in the ooze. To his right, Buffy was beating up the other demon, kicking the thing before throwing a punch and then another kick.  
  
Neither of the two could get a good grip on the monsters because the slime made them very hard to get a hold of. Whenever Buffy tried to grab the demon, it would slip out of her slender arms and get away. Buffy kicked the demon away from her, allowing herself to catch her breath. "Spike! These things...they don't get hurt!"  
  
Spike, however, was trying to fight the other demon. He was keeping it busy so it wouldn't get over towards Buffy. "Bit busy right now, love..." Spike muttered before kicking the monster in its stomach. "Just keep fighting the thing." He punched the slime demon in its stomach before kicking its side of its face. From the corner of his eye, he saw the slimy demon get back up onto its feet and start walking over to Buffy. "Buffy! Look out!" Spike shouted trying to get her attention.  
  
"Wha-" Buffy tried to say. However, the demon slapped Buffy on her back, knocking her to the ground. Dazed, Buffy could only stare at the demon that now towered above her.  
  
"Slayer..." the demon growled fiercely.  
  
Spike tried getting over to Buffy to help her out, but the second demon grabbed him, throwing him against a tree. Spike jumped back up to his feet, growling, his facial features shifting into the demon inside of him. He shook off his leather jacket to keep it clean before he jumped up onto the demon's back, trying to hold on as the thing thrashed around. Spike pulled his arms around its neck, pulling its head around until he heard it snap. Both the dead monster and Spike fell to the ground in a huge pile.  
  
As Spike was trying to kill the demon, however, the first demon that was standing over top of Buffy, shook his head, showering her with lumps of the mucus from his body. "Gross!" Buffy said. "Do you have any idea what the dry cleaning bill will be for this?" She jumped back up onto her feet and kicked the demon in its gut, forcing him away from her.  
  
But before Buffy could kick the creature again, it threw a handful of slime onto Buffy's face and right into her eyes. Buffy screamed before trying to get the mucus off with her hands. She stumbled back, tripping over a headstone, and landing on the ground. She frantically continued trying to clean her face.  
  
"Buffy!" Spiked shouted, seeing what was happened. He untangled himself from the monster and ran over to her help. He stood in front of her, placing himself right between Buffy and the monster. He looked up at the thing, standing at his full height. "Don't come near the girl." Spike said. Instantly, he remembered that night where he told Doc the same thing. "Unless you want to end up like your mate over there, I suggest that you leave."  
  
The demon growled. "Came to do what I was suppose to." And with that, the demon lumbered back into the woods.  
  
Spike spun around, looking at Buffy before crouching on his knees in front of her. "Buffy?" Spike asked, grabbing a hold of her shoulders to stop her from thrashing around. He tried to help wipe the slime off her face as he also tried soothing her. "Buffy...love? Can you talk?"  
  
"Sp- Spike, my eyes..." Buffy moaned. "My eyes...they sting, all over. Oh God...help me, Spike." She sobbed before leaning into Spike's embrace.  
  
  
  
"Okay, love. Let's get you home." Spike said. "Hold on," he said before running over and grabbing his jacket. He wrapped his leather coat around Buffy's shoulders before picking her up in his arms. Walking as fast as he could without causing Buffy any pain, Spike began heading back to the Summers' home.  
  
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	3. Chapter 3

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When Spike walked into the house carrying Buffy, they were greeted by Dawn. She opened the door for them the whole way, smiling at Spike as he walked in. She was excited because this was supposedly the night that Buffy would talk to Spike about her feelings for him. "Hey guys! You're back from patrol early." But then she saw Buffy lying in Spike's arms, not moving with her hands placed over her stinging eyes. "Oh God...Spike, what happened?"  
  
"Nothin' Sweet Bit, just...lets get her up into the bathroom." Spike said, starting to carry her up the stairs. "Can you get a washcloth, Bit?" he called out to Dawn.  
  
"Sure," Dawn replied, running ahead of Buffy and Spike and into the bathroom and grabbing a cloth out of the linen closet. "You want water on it?"  
  
"Yeah, some warm water." Spike said, entering the bathroom. He put down the toilet seat before placing Buffy on top of it, letting her lean against the back wall. Dawn handed the wash cloth to him within another moment, and Spike started washing off her face. "Thanks, Nibblet." Spike said to her.  
  
"Wh-what happened? What did this?" Dawn asked.  
  
"Some nasty buggers." Spike replied. "A...a slime demon or something." He washed off the slime before rinsing off the cloth and going back to clean up her eyes. "She was complaining about her eyes...stinging and hurtin' her."  
  
"Is she gonna be okay?" Dawn asked nervously.  
  
Spike, who didn't even know for himself whether or not Buffy would be okay, simply nodded. "Sure she will, 'Lil Bit. Big Sis always pulls through." Dawn was silent and didn't respond, knowing that he was just trying to make her feel better. "C'mon love, you gotta open your eyes..." Spike whispered at Buffy.  
  
Dawn noticed his small act of caring and love for her older sister. "Did, uh...did Buffy talk to you? About trying the two of you out?"  
  
Spike's eyes lowered. "Yeah, she sure did, Bit. Right before we were attacked by those nasties and she got slammed in the face with this gunk. Right before as, once again, I fail to protect her." He thought back to that night where she had asked him to do *one* thing and he had failed at that. Because of his failure, he had gotten her killed. And now...well, who knew what had happened to her.  
  
"Spike, that wasn't your fault. What happened *that* night, or tonight." Dawn said, trying to reassure him.  
  
"Sure it wasn't, Bit..." Spike said to her, "but somehow I just-"  
  
"Spike...?" A weak voice called out. Buffy's arms started moving, trying to straighten her legs and arms out. Her eyes opened and she started looking around at her surroundings. She blinked several times.  
  
"Buffy?" Spike and Dawn called out together. Dawn quickly hugged her sister. "You're okay!" Dawn said.  
  
When Dawn let go, Buffy tried to stand up, but Spike pushed her back down. "Not now, love. You're still weak." Spike said. He stared into her eyes, which were darting back and forth, not meeting his own eyes even once.  
  
"Dawn? Spike?" Buffy asked tentatively.  
  
"Yeah?" The two replied, looking at her.  
  
"Where are you?" Buffy asked.  
  
"What?" Dawn asked. She looked over at Spike, giving him a 'has she lost her mind?' look.  
  
"I...I can hear you...can feel you..." she ran her hand down Spike's arm. "But...but I can't..." her voice died off, realizing what was going on.  
  
"Can't....?" Dawn asked, trying to start Buffy off. "Can't what?"  
  
"Oh God," Spike said softly. "She can't see, Dawn." He told her calmly. He waved his hand in front of Buffy's eyes, but they didn't follow his hand. She didn't know that he was even doing that.  
  
"What?" Dawn asked. "N-no. She'll be fine. Just give her a few minutes. Maybe it takes a while."  
  
Spike lowered his head, sighing. His heart, whether beating or not, was breaking all over again. He had failed her, had failed his slayer. It was a simple thing to do- to keep the demons away from her. Well, he managed to keep one away from her, but one wasn't good enough. She had just said that she wanted to give them a chance, and this was how he repaid her? She was alive, yes, but she was...blind. How would she be able to survive this?  
  
"C'mon, love, let's move you downstairs." Spike said.  
  
"I can do it, myself." Buffy said, pushing herself up onto her feet. After trying to get herself steady, Buffy started walking ahead. Without warning, she tripped over the rug on the tiled floor and barely missed knocking her head against the sink. Both Dawn and Spike remained silent, both not knowing what to do. "Oh God...I can't see, I'm blind..." Buffy sobbed, finally realizing what this was going to mean.  
  
Spike walked ahead of Dawn, walking up to Buffy and scooping her up into his arms and carrying her downstairs as Buffy cried against his chest. Dawn followed the two, keeping quiet. When Spike walked into the living room, he laid Buffy down on the couch, walking over and getting a comforter to cover her up. "Here, love...if you're cold..."  
  
Buffy had curled herself into a small ball, trying not to cry. "I'm fine," Buffy said.  
  
"You're not fine, love. You need help..." Spike said. He looked over at Dawn, who was standing in the corner. 'Help me out here, Dawn,' his look was saying.  
  
"Uh...I can call Xander and the gang and let them know what's going on." Dawn said. "We can go over there tomorrow and figure out what to do and how to get your sight back. Is that okay, Buffy?"  
  
Buffy lowered her head. Now she'd have to face her friends as a blind person. She couldn't deal with this. Tears silently started falling down her cheeks again. Now everyone would be rushing up to help her, treating her like she was a complete invalid. And now that she couldn't see...how would she be able to protect Dawn and her friends now?  
  
Spike watched her as she cried. "That sounds fine, Nibblet. Why don't you go do that now?"  
  
"Okay," Dawn murmured before walking into the kitchen to call Xander.  
  
"Buffy?" Spike asked, sitting down on the edge of the couch beside her. "Do you want anything, love?" Buffy shook her head. "Or...how about the blanket?" Spike searched the room, trying to find something that she might want or need. "Or, how about-"  
  
"Fine, I'll take the blanket." Buffy said, cutting him off. She didn't want help, but if it would get Spike to shut up. Woah...where did that come from? This is the guy that I just said I wanted a chance with. she thought. But right now, her sight came before the boyfriend pleasantries.  
  
"Okay..." Spike said. He unfolded the blanket and started wrapping it around the small woman who lay on the couch. What a poof I am now...although I wouldn't have it any other way. he thought for a second as he finished covering her. "Anything else you need, love? I could, uh...go get you something to drink...eat..."  
  
"Spike! Would you just *stop* trying!" Buffy shouted at him. Suddenly, all of her anger was being released, and it was all being directed towards Spike.  
  
Dawn had just finished her conversation with Xander. They were all going to meet up at the Magic Box tomorrow to research this demon that had hurt Buffy. Xander said he was going to call Giles to let him know what was going on. After hearing Buffy yell at Spike, Dawn ran into the living room.  
  
Spike, stood up off the couch, staring at her with a surprised look on his face. He was surprised that she had just yelled at him. All he was doing was trying to help her out. Not only was he surprised...he was somewhat hurt. "I'm just trying to help you out, love. I can help you get used to all this."  
  
"I don't *want* to get used to all of this." Buffy said crossly. She looked down to where her hands were resting. Not that she could see her hands, but she didn't want Spike to think that she was trying to look over at him.  
  
"Well, let me at least help you then!" Spike yelled at her.  
  
"I don't need your help." Buffy replied coldly. "And I don't want it either."  
  
Dawn was surprised. She figured that if Buffy would allow anyone to get this close to helping her when all her defenses were down, it would be Spike. After all, tonight was the night that she finally told him that she had feelings for him. How could she be so cruel to him now?  
  
Spike stared at her, millions of thoughts rushing through his head. What the hell? he thought. Then he asked her aloud the next thought that came to his mind. "What happened to 'us', then, Buffy?"  
  
"Us?" Buffy asked back, shouting it at him. She threw off the afghan and climbed to her feet. She didn't move forward so she wouldn't trip over the coffee table. "That was before I went *BLIND* Spike. Right now, there *is* no 'us.' There can't be an 'us.'" And then she told him what she was thinking about. "Right now, getting my sight back is going to come before the boyfriend pleasantries."  
  
"Buffy..." Dawn gasped, surprised and stunned that Buffy would speak so fiercely towards Spike. What has gotten into her? After everything he had done for her friends and family, this was how she repaid him?  
  
Spike's mouth dropped open, anger, confusion, and surprise coursing throughout his body. Now he was just pissed off. How dare she treat him this way! "Fine, Slayer!" Spike yelled coldly, using the term he used whenever she managed to piss him off. "You call me when you need me." Spike started walking towards the front door, grabbing his leather jacket off the stair railing.  
  
"Don't count on that any time soon!" Buffy shouted out to him as Spike opened the door and walked out, slamming it behind him.  
  
Dawn and Buffy stood there silently, both unmoving and quiet. Buffy suddenly let out a loud sob, falling to her knees, and then to the floor. Dawn rushed over to her sister, wrapping her arms around her. "It'll be okay," Dawn said, trying to soothe her sister.  
  
"No...no, it'll never be okay," Buffy said. Why did I say that to Spike? All he wanted to do was help me. Buffy cries increased, the tears streaming down her cheeks as Dawn only hugged her tighter. "It's never going to be okay ever again."  
  
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The next morning, Dawn and Buffy silently attempted to have a somewhat normal morning. Dawn helped Buffy was her face, brush back her hair into a ponytail holder, and get dressed in a simple outfit. Then, Dawn helped her down the stairs to get some breakfast and finish preparing to go to the Magic Box.  
  
"Buffy, do you want your black leather jacket?" Dawn asked.  
  
"Doesn't matter. Not like I can *see* if I look good or not," Buffy said glumly, sitting on the couch. She didn't move so she wouldn't accidentally run into anything or trip over something that was on the floor.  
  
"Hey, you look great," Dawn said, coming over and sitting next to her. Dawn leaned against Buffy, wrapping an arm around her. "Don't worry, Buffy. We'll get through this."  
  
"Thank you, Dawnie," Buffy whispered, moving to kiss Dawn's forehead.  
  
"C'mon," Dawn started, jumping up to her feet. "Let's get over to the store. They're all waiting for us."  
  
Buffy tentatively stood to her feet and, with the constant help from Dawn, started walking out the door and towards the shop.  
  
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	4. Chapter 4

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The gang was already there when they heard the front door open and the bell ring. Dawn and Buffy slowly walked inside, closing the door behind them. "Okay..." Dawn said. Her hands were on Buffy's shoulders, leading her through the doorway. She helped guide Buffy past the tables that were set up and then towards the stairs. "Keep walking straight...there's a step right...now, and another...and another...and the floor."  
  
"Buffy! Dawn!" Anya greeted loudly. "Nice to see you two!"  
  
Buffy didn't say anything in response. Dawn led her over to the table where the gang was all sitting. Seating Buffy in an empty chair, Dawn smoothed back Buffy's hair before sitting down beside her. Buffy's blank eyes darted back and forth, looking for something but never actually being able to see anything. All she saw was a black, never-ending void.  
  
"Hi Anya," Dawn replied. She grabbed a hold of Buffy's hand, letting her older sister know that she was right beside her.  
  
"Uh...is Spike joining us?" Anya asked. "Usually we see him rush in behind you two...flaming underneath the blanket?" Since Buffy had come back, usually if both Dawn and Buffy were together, you'd expect to see Spike only minutes behind the two trying to catch up.  
  
"Uh, no...I don't think he's coming," Buffy whispered.  
  
"All right...we've got a problem here," Xander said. "Buff, wanna tell us what happened?"  
  
"Spike and I were..." kissing she briefly thought, (but she didn't dare tell her friends that), "patrolling, when these two demons came attacking us. They were, uh, slimy...had horns...growly. Not very killable also." Buffy started. "Spike killed one, but the other threw a blob of slime into my eyes and then...I lost my sight. The monster got away..."  
  
"Oh man," Xander groaned. "Am I the only one who wishes that Giles hadn't left for London?"  
  
"Okay, so we research on how to kill this thing," Willow said, trying to keep everyone in the room calm. "And then Spike can go-"  
  
"I don't think that Spike will be helping us out right now," Buffy whispered softly. Dawn squeezed Buffy's hand tightly, letting her know that she was there for her. She and Buffy had talked about her and Spike's argument last night, and Dawn knew that what Buffy said was just in the moment anger. Later last night, Buffy felt horrible for what she had said. However, Buffy was too proud of herself to go back to Spike and grovel.  
  
"Maybe there's a spell that we can use to reverse the effects of the slime," Willow suggested. "Or...one that will break through what's already been done."  
  
"I...I don't know if that will help," Buffy said. She felt hopeless, as if all of this was a lost cause. Why even bother? "I...I don't know what to do about this."  
  
"Don't worry, Buffy. Tara and I can start looking for some spells to help you. Anya and Xander can look through the demon research books to see what kind of demon attacked you and Spike." Willow said.  
  
Xander groaned again. "Giles would probably know what demon it is off the top of his head. Anyone else wish he was here?"  
  
Everyone else in the room nodded. This was their fist major crisis that had come back since Buffy had come back and Giles had left for England. No one was good at being the leader of the group besides Buffy, and she wasn't really up for being the leader right about now. Most in the room were somewhat lost on what to do.  
  
"Xander...why don't you call him?" Buffy asked. She moved her head, trying to guess where he was sitting. She at least wanted to try to act as though she was talking to someone instead of a wall. "Tell him about what the monster looks like, and let him know that I- I lost my sight.."  
  
"Sure thing, Buffy." Xander replied.  
  
"If you guys don't mind, I just want to stay at home today...with Dawn," Buffy said. She stood up and took a step forward, running into the bookshelf and knocking over the first row of books.  
  
"Oh! Watch out!" Everyone in the room cried out except for Dawn. Dawn rushed over to Buffy's side and grabbed onto her shoulders, helping to steady Buffy. Buffy closed her eyes, sighing and trying to remain calm when all she wanted to do was sit down and cry. Dawn started leading Buffy out the door.  
  
"Call me if you get anything," Buffy said quietly as Dawn led her up the stairs very carefully before heading out the door.  
  
"Aww man," Xander sighed. "Buffy looked beat. I haven't seen her this way since the first few days ever since she got back." He leaned back in his chair, running his hand through his hair.  
  
"Yeah, she looked kinda down." Anya said. "Guess that happens when you're blind, huh?"  
  
"All right guys, we've got to get started on this. For Buffy's sake." Willow said. "Anya, Xander, start researching. Tara and I are going to find some spells about this." Willow pushed back her chair and stood up. "Someone go call Giles." All of the people stayed seated, thinking about Buffy and their new problem. "Now people!" Willow shouted.  
  
Immediately, the four jumped up and started heading towards the books to find information about what happened with Buffy. Tara and Willow headed up the stairs to the powerful magic books while Anya and Xander went over to the bookshelves, pulling out one book after the other.  
  
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Almost a week passed and the gang hadn't been able to find anything that would help Buffy. Willow and Tara tried a few spells but apparently the demon's slime was more powerful than any magic spell around in any book that they had available. Anya and Xander were constantly getting interrupted with each other and had troubles finding any type of information about slime demons.  
  
Buffy had almost isolated herself from the entire outside world. If any demon found out she was blind, then her family and friends would be undefended. Buffy couldn't let that happen so she stayed out of sight, trying to get by being blind. Dawn was the only person who continued to help Buffy. Buffy and Dawn remained in the house, only occasionally going out.  
  
Progress was not being made. Not only was she being incredibly stubborn about her blindness, she also refused to talk to Spike. Not that Buffy was aware of it, but everyone now agreed that Spike was the one person who would be able to help her. He would devote all of his time to her, helping her through everything. It would be just like when she first came back and Spike helped her through all of her problems then. Dawn tried getting in touch with him, but he obviously didn't want to be disturbed.  
  
So the gang kept searching, now just praying for some miracle that they could cure Buffy.  
  
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Buffy fumbled around in the bathroom, trying to take a shower. Okay, I've done this dozens of times now, she thought, rinsing her hair. I can do this. Buffy extended her hand, searching around for the bar of soap. Finally, after what seemed like 5 agonizingly long minutes, she grabbed the bar of soap.  
  
Another ten minutes passed before Buffy thought that all the shampoo and conditioner was out of her hair and there were no more suds on her body. She fumbled around trying to find the knob that would turn off the water. Finally, the water stopped and Buffy rung out her hair. After that, she started climbing out of the tub.  
  
However, she didn't raise her left foot enough, and her toes tripped over the edge of the tub. Buffy tried to steady herself, but landed on the floor with a loud bang, hitting her head on the side of the toilet. "Shit," Buffy cursed, trying not to cry.  
  
This was all just so hard. And it wasn't fair. She was blind, something new and something that she couldn't fight. Her friends didn't know what was going on, how could they even relate? She was fighting this by herself with a little help from Dawn. How would she ever manage? Buffy knew that there was no way that she would be able to survive this. She was alone and would never be able to see anything ever again.  
  
From inside Dawn's room, she heard a loud 'thump' come from the bathroom. Oh God...Buffy, Dawn thought, throwing her magazine to the side of her bed and climbing off the side of her bed. Dawn rushed from her room down the hallway into the bathroom. Without knocking, Dawn pushed the door open. She saw Buffy crying on the bathroom floor, wet, shivering, and bare, as a trail of blood ran down the side of her face.  
  
"Buffy!" Dawn shouted, running in and kneeling down in front of her sister. She pushed Buffy's wet hair out of her eyes, trying to help her.  
  
"Dawn...Dawnie...I can't do this." Buffy cried. "I just can't keep going on like this."  
  
"Buffy...it'll be okay." Dawn said, trying to help Buffy calm down. Dawn stood up quickly and grabbed the towel off the towel rack beside them. She wrapped the towel around Buffy's arms, trying to help dry her off. "Look, why don't we just get you dried off and then I'll help you-"  
  
"No, Dawnie...I need someone else, besides you..." Buffy said. She pulled the towel closer around her, trying to dry herself off. She raised her head, looking at where she heard Dawn's voice come from. "I need..."  
  
"Help?" Dawn asked. Then, an idea formed. Help as in the form of Spike? she thought. Maybe this was a way to get the two of them talking again.  
  
"Yes...help," Buffy replied. "Help me Dawnie," she whispered before she lowered her head and started crying again. Dawn pulled her older sister towards her in a loving embrace, trying to help her get through this.  
  
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Half an hour later, Buffy and Dawn were down in the living room, sitting on the couch. Buffy held the cordless phone in her hand as Dawn stood in front of her. Dawn's arms were crossed and she sighed, thinking, Could she *be* any more stubborn about all this?  
  
"Maybe I'm calling the wrong person," Buffy said as she ran her fingertips over the cell phone buttons.  
  
"No, this is the perfect person to call," Dawn said, sitting down beside her. "Trust me on this one, Buffy."  
  
"And you're *sure* that he has a phone?" Buffy asked again. She was trying to think up twenty questions to stall as long as she could. Hopefully, she wouldn't even have to call him.  
  
"Yeah." Dawn replied.  
  
Buffy made a face. "In the crypt?"  
  
"Yeah. Willow and Tara magically installed it, so we could call him just in case." Dawn replied, thinking back to when the two Wiccans had performed that spell. It was the same spell that Willow had performed for Buffy when they were trying to hide from Glory. "It's neat, he doesn't even have a bill to pay."  
  
"Okay..." Buffy started, handing the phone to her sister. Dawn grabbed the phone from her hand so Buffy wouldn't have to figure out which way to pass it to her. "Dial away, Dawnie."  
  
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Spike walked into his crypt, holding a beer in one hand and a cigarette in the other. He sat down in his old, plush chair, getting comfortable as he took a gulp of his beer. Spike momentarily got up and turned the TV on before sitting down again, watching the news...or something.  
  
This was basically how his life had been going ever since Buffy had practically kicked him out of her home. He'd been keeping up with what's going on with her thanks to Dawn and their phone conversations, but he didn't dare come crawling back to Buffy. No, he was going to make her come to him if she wanted him back.  
  
Truth was, Spike was surprised. Ever since she had been brought back, the two of them had become good friends. Sure Spike always hoped for more than that, but he was doing fine with the two of them being friends. Buffy could relate to him better now. She understood more of what he went through.  
  
However, that night when she blew up at him just because he was trying to *help*, well...Spike felt like they were right back where they were one year ago, when she hated his guts. Obviously she doesn't need me. Spike thought, inhaling a puff of smoke.  
  
To his right on the table, the phone rang. Who the hell would be calling at this time of night? Spike thought, reaching over and grabbing the receiver.  
  
"'Ello?" Spike asked into the phone.  
  
There was a very long pause on the phone as Buffy recovered from hearing his voice for the first time in a few weeks. God, Spike, she thought. She hadn't allowed herself to think about it, but she was in desperate need of his help. If only I hadn't screwed up that night, Buffy thought. Finally, she found her voice. "Sp-Spike...? Is that you?"  
  
Oh God, it's her. Spike thought. He sighed, trying not to let his emotions show. "Buffy...what do you want?"  
  
Silent tears were dripping down Buffy's face as she heard his voice...so cold and distant. He doesn't' care about me anymore, she thought. Not that I blame him. "Spike? I...I want...help." Buffy tried to say as her voice wavered. "I need you...your help."  
  
"You're askin' for my help?" Spike asked in shock. Never had he thought that Buffy would be calling him asking for his support.  
  
"Please, Spike?" Buffy asked quietly. She sounded so lost and confused, as if she had give up all hope.  
  
"I'm on my way, love." Spike said. He hung up the phone and stood up, taking his final drink of beer before heading out the door of his crypt.  
  
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Spike arrived at Buffy's within the first 5 minutes after they had hung up. He knocked on the door and Dawn answered, swinging the door open. "Wow, you must have run over here." She said as she moved aside, letting him in.  
  
Spike paused to gasp for breath. Funny, since he didn't really need to breathe. "Yeah. Hello Nibblet. Where's Big Sis?"  
  
Dawn raised her eyes to the ceiling. "Upstairs...she kinda felt tired." She closed the door behind her as Spike walked into the foyer. "She...kinda hurt her head."  
  
"What? How?" Spike asked.  
  
"Calm down, Spike. She tripped when she stepped out of the shower. She kinda cut up her forehead, but she'll be okay." Dawn said. "I patched her up."  
  
"Good job then, Sweet Bit." Spike replied. "So..."  
  
"Yeah, just go on up." Dawn said.  
  
"Thanks, Nibblet," Spike replied, heading on up the stairs.  
  
As he reached the top of the stairs, he could already hear her crying. Cor, pet. Why didn't you call me sooner? Spike though as he walked down the hallway. You know I would have come over here. He reached her doorway, pausing as he peaked into the room.  
  
Buffy lay on her bed, a pillow wrapped between her arms as she cried. Never before had Spike seen her look so lost and alone. He had heard it in her voice when she called him, but seeing it for real started breaking his heart.  
  
"Buffy?" Spike asked, pushing open the door and taking a small step inside.  
  
"Spike?" Buffy stopped crying. "Is that you?" she asked as she started sitting up.  
  
"No, love...take it slow," Spike commanded softly. He quickly walked over to her side, helping her to sit up. "Here, let me help," Spike said as he helped Buffy move. She wrapped her arms around him, breathing him in.  
  
"Spike, you really came." Buffy said softly, her voice muffled because she was breathing and talking into his chest.  
  
"Of course I did, love." Spike said, stroking the side of her face. "Why wouldn't I?"  
  
"Because of the way I treated you...everything that I said to you." Buffy said. She regretted every word that she had said to him that night, and she knew that she had to apologize. "I'm sorry."  
  
"Doesn't matter anymore, Buffy," Spike said. He tightened his embrace around her before letting go and moving away. "What can I do to help?"  
  
"I don't know, I just don't know anymore." Buffy said sounding lost.  
  
Spike kissed her forehead, trying to calm her. "I'm here for you, love. Why don't you get some sleep?"  
  
Buffy blinked, as if trying to focus her vision. "Okay..." she moved her hands around, trying to find the edge of the covers. Spike saw this and helped her pull back the quilt, helping Buffy get into bed. He was trying to be as gentle as possible, when all he wanted to do was climb into bed with her and hold her until she fell asleep. Calm down, mate. Spike told himself.  
  
"Good night, love," Spike whispered into her ear, starting to head out the door.  
  
"Spike?" Buffy asked a few seconds later.  
  
"Yes, love?" Spike asked, turning back around to face her.  
  
"Can you...stay here? Just until I fall asleep. You know, just in case I-"  
  
"Sure thing, Buffy." Spike said, walking back closer to Buffy. He took off his leather jacket, laying it across the back of a chair in his room before sitting down in that chair. Spike watched Buffy as she closed her eyes, before falling asleep.  
  
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	5. Chapter 5

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An hour later, Buffy was fast asleep. Spike watched her sleeping, unbelieving that he was here in her room with her. He had never thought that he would be invited back into the Summers' home again, much less be helping to care for Buffy.  
  
Spike was thinking about what to do to help her out. He saw how lost she was. When he entered the house, he saw that the house was messy and unclean. Buffy had obviously not been caring for the house since she lost her vision. Spike had never dealt with someone who was blind, much less the woman he loved.  
  
So the only question now was what could he do? Spike rose quietly from his chair as to not wake up Buffy before walking out of her room, closing the door behind her. Once outside, he checked on Dawn who was also asleep before starting to help Buffy out.  
  
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"Rise and shine, Buffy!" Spike said as he entered Buffy's room. It was 9:30, and he figured that it was time for Buffy to wake up. He had a whole day of things planned out to help her get back to having a semi-normal life.  
  
"Wha-what?" Buffy asked, wiping the sleep out of her eyes. "Spike?"  
  
"Yeah. C'mon, pet. You gotta get out of bed sometime." Spike said.  
  
Dawn came down the hallway, stopping and standing in the doorway of Buffy's room. "Buffy, you've got to check out what Spike did!" She said, before heading out the doorway. "I'm off to school!" She called back to the slayer.  
  
"Sweet Bit," Spike called out to Dawn, stopping her quickly.  
  
"Huh?" she asked back.  
  
"After school, head to the shop. Big sis and I will meet you guys there when she sun sets," Spike said to Dawn. This way he wouldn't have to worry about running for his life covered in a thick blanket as he was trying to help Buffy.  
  
"Okay then, I'll see you guys later then," Dawn said before leaving.  
  
"The shop?" Buffy asked, sitting up in bed. "We're going there...today?"  
  
"Yeah, we are. I figured that it was about time that you face the Scoobies again, okay?" Spike asked her, helping her get out of bed.  
  
"I guess I have to sooner or later." Buffy said. "Now, what's all this about you doing something?"  
  
"Oh...uh, well, last night after you fell asleep, I stayed up all night trying to get the place cleaned up for you." Spike said, taking her hands and leading her out the doorway. "Here, start walking down the hallway."  
  
"But Spike-"  
  
"Just walk." Spike said.  
  
Last night, Spike had stayed awake, moving all the furniture against the walls or in the corners so Buffy could have a path throughout the whole house without bumping into anything. The table and cabinet that were the hallway were now in Joyce's room and now the hallway was clear. Buffy walked down the hallway very slowly, moving her hands around to not run into everything.  
  
"Okay...where's all the furniture in the hallway?" Buffy asked.  
  
"In your mum's room," Spike replied. "I figured that I'd move everything out of your way so you'd be able to walk down to Dawn's room."  
  
"Spike...thank you," Buffy said, walking back to where she was standing with Spike. "Is that all?"  
  
Spike scoffed and shook his head. "Not even, love. C'mon downstairs with me."  
  
Spike led her in the kitchen slowly, telling her where he moved the furniture and how there was now a clear spot in every room for her to walk through. "And here, in the kitchen, I moved all the glasses, plates, and stuff like that into their own cabinet, so maybe you can get to it easier. Everything in the whole house is in a certain place, so you'll know where to walk and go."  
  
"Spike...you did all of this for me?"  
  
"Yeah, just trying to make things easier for you, love." Spike said, helping Buffy into a seat. "I'm not saying that it's going to be easy, but Little Bit can help you out get used to all of this."  
  
"Spike, thank-"  
  
"Don't mention it, Slayer." Spike replied.  
  
Buffy paused, hearing coldness in his voice. She didn't know how to respond. "Look, Spike, I'm sorry that I pushed you away about three weeks ago. I-I freaked, I'm still freaking. We don't know what those things where, I can't protect my friends and Dawn, and I don't know what to do."  
  
"Buffy..."  
  
"That's why I called you, I figured that you could help me out some. And you have. I actually got some sleep last night and now I can maneuver throughout my own house." Buffy said. "Thank you."  
  
Spike softened, realizing that he'd been too hard with his words. "No, thank you, Buffy," he said softly. He rose from his chair, regaining his posture. "I'm gonna fix us some breakfast and then we're going to head over to the magic shop, okay?"  
  
"Okay...what are we having?"  
  
"Well, I'm fixing some sausage, eggs, and pancakes. Sound decent, pet?" Spike asked. He couldn't believe what a poof he was turning into. First, caring for the Slayer and now fixing her breakfast?  
  
Minutes later, he set down a plate for her. "Okay...eggs are at eleven o clock, pancakes are at six o clock, and then sausage is at one o clock. Eat up."  
  
"Thanks." Buffy picked up the fork that was at the table and started eating, finally glad that she could pick up the food without searching all over the plate first.  
  
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That evening, Spike and Buffy headed over to the Magic Box after Buffy changed into some sweats and a tank and Spike grabbed his leather jacket. Together, Spike helped Buffy walk like a normal person without running into anything. Slowly, she started getting the hang of walking.  
  
"'Ello all!" Spike said when he entered the Magic Shop. Buffy walked in right behind him, following the sound of his voice. Dawn had taught Buffy how to enter the shop without tripping over the steps, and Buffy slowly walked in by herself.  
  
"Hey guys," Buffy said, softly.  
  
"Hey Buffy!" Willow said, trying to sound happy for her.  
  
"Hey! You finally came out of your house. We thought we'd never see you again." Anya said.  
  
"Yeah, well...Spike talked me into coming here tonight." Buffy said.  
  
"Yeah, I've got some stuff planned out for her tonight." Spike said, throwing the blanket aside and grabbing a hold of Buffy's shoulders. He started leading her over to the training room in the back. "We're going to go spar some."  
  
"Isn't it hard to spar when you're blind?" Anya asked.  
  
"That's what we're going to find out." Spike and Buffy entered the room together before Spike closed the door behind them to give them some privacy. "Okay, I'm going to try and teach you how to fight again."  
  
"I can't fight, Spike. I'm blind." Buffy said.  
  
"No, you can too fight." Spike said, refusing to give up on his plan. His plan was to get Buffy so good at everything that she could fight and carry out a normal and Slayer type of life without having to worry about her blindness. "C'mon, try to punch me."  
  
"Wow, never thought I'd hear you actually *want* me to punch you." Buffy teased.  
  
"C'mon, love." Spike said. Buffy moved into a fighting position, holding her hands out in the shape of fists. Suddenly, she swung her hand out, trying to aim for Spike. However, she swiped thin air and twirled around, landing on the pad beneath her. Buffy sighed, thinking that she was right- she couldn't fight. "Okay..." Spike said, helping Buffy stand. "Obviously we need some more work with this."  
  
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Weeks passed and Spike stuck by Buffy's side all of the time. Wherever Buffy was, you could start to expect that Spike would always be there- either lingering in the shadows or helping her get through this.  
  
Bit by bit, Spike started working his way back into Buffy's life. The gang had already accepted him, and now so was Buffy. He was getting closer to her than ever now, and Spike loved every moment of it. Who would have thought that a simple call would change his life around once again?  
  
The two were becoming good friends. Buffy was spending more time with him than Willow or her other friends. And because of Spike, Buffy was slowing accepting her blindness. Buffy figured that there was no cure. Xander and Anya had for the most part, stopped researching. And Buffy wasn't upset about that. She knew that she was becoming dependent on Spike, and if he ever left then she'd be a wreck, but she was dealing perfectly.  
  
Buffy wasn't sure about what her feelings were right now. All she knew that was whenever she was thinking, the only thing she could concentrate on was Spike. She thought of him all the time, even when he was there with her, she still thought about what it would be like for him to kiss her, hug her, treat her more than a woman who was completely blind. And for once, she wanted to find out. However, she never let Spike know what she was feeling.  
  
Sure she was also feeling that this was wrong- she shouldn't be having these feelings for Spike, but the way that he was helping her, she just couldn't help it. When she pictured herself and Spike together, there was nothing wrong with that image in her mind. She saw Spike, Dawn, and herself together, and everything was perfect.  
  
Dawn was the only one that really knew what was going on with her older sister and Spike, and she loved it. The way Spike would constantly be watching over Buffy and making sure she was okay. The way that Buffy would always think of Spike as the first person to help her out with something. Dawn figured that before summer arrived that the two would be together.  
  
There was always the thought that something could happen that would change everything in Buffy's life around a full 180°, but until that happened she was fine with Spike helping her through everything.  
  
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	6. Chapter 6

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Buffy, Spike, Dawn, and the rest of the gang were all in the Magic Box. This was where they were spending most of their waking hours now. They would usually hang around all together, talking about whatever came to mind. Ever since Buffy had faced the monsters that made her blind, things had been very slow in Sunnydale.  
  
"Hey, you guys, I have something I think I should say," Buffy said as she and her friends all sat around the table. Their small table had grown into a table that probably could have fit King Author's knights. With Dawn and Spike now in the mix, a table that was fit for about 4 wasn't enough.  
  
"What is it, Buffy?" Willow asked. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at her.  
  
Buffy wore a pair of sunglasses now, just so that her wandering eyes wouldn't creep anyone out as she talked to her friends. "I think that it's time that we stop the studying and give up with this."  
  
"But Buffy-" Willow tried to say.  
  
"No, Will...it's okay. I get the point that we aren't going to find anything." Buffy said. "I mean, c'mon, have you guys really been researching this *whole* time?" She didn't get a response from anyone. "I didn't think so."  
  
"But we could still find something, Buff." Xander said.  
  
"No, it's okay. I can deal." Buffy assured them. And that was true. She was finally fine with the whole blind thing. Sure it was going to be a hassle forever, but she could overcome it, just like she always had. "Everyone has been really helpful to me...especially Spike."  
  
Spike was sitting next to her, resting his hand on her leg underneath the table where no one could see. He squeezed her leg lightly as reassurance. "That's right, love. And I'm going to keep helping you out too."  
  
Dawn smiled as everyone else looked around nervously. All were wondering the same thing: what was going on with these two?  
  
"Yeah, Spike and I almost have the whole fighting thing down." Buffy said happily. Ever since their first attempt at sparring together, the two had been working non-stop on trying to improve. Finally, both Buffy and Spike thought they just about had it.  
  
"Speaking of fighting, want to go spar some, Slayer?" Spike asked, standing up.  
  
"Sure, sounds good." Buffy said. She stood up slowly, managing to not knock anything over as she pushed back her chair and starting walking out to the middle of the room. Like at her house, some of the middle tables had been pushed back against the walls. Anya wasn't too happy about that, but she eventually got over it.  
  
Together, she and Spike walked back into the back room. Buffy pulled off her sweatshirt as Spike took off his jacket. The two walked into the middle of the room and stood a few feet away from each other. "Okay, love, remember what we were practicing?" Spike asked.  
  
"Sure do," Buffy replied, moving into a fighting stance.  
  
"Okay, I'm coming up on your left..." Spike said, slowly moving towards Buffy. Buffy heard the rustling of his motion and quickly blocked him before pushing him away from her. "Good, love. Again." Spike came up in front of Buffy, and before he could even react, Buffy grabbed him, pushing him up against the wall.  
  
"Good?" Buffy asked him.  
  
Spike groaned. Getting shoved into a wall of bricks was not his impression of "good." "That's great, love."  
  
"Thank you," Buffy said proudly. Spike expected her to back away and let go of him, but Buffy didn't budge.  
  
"Buffy?" Spike asked her softly, thinking that she had just forgotten that she was holding onto him.  
  
"Spike..." she said as she moved her fingers from grasping his shirt up to his face. She felt out his lips before moving her head forward and lightly kissing him.  
  
Spike was surprise, to say the least, but he quickly responded, wrapping his arms around her, deepening the kiss. Buffy hadn't expected that, and she let out a sound that was a half moan and half yelp of surprise. But she didn't let go of him, she felt his cool lips against hers and the feeling of his tongue tracing her bottom lip before entering her mouth.  
  
Suddenly, to their left, the two heard the sound of the doorknob twisting and the door opening. Buffy and Spike jumped before the two stepped away from each other. Buffy instinctively swung out and punched him away from her, thinking that anyone else would think that they were merely sparring.  
  
However, the person that walked through the door was merely Dawn. "Woah...it's okay guys, it's just me."  
  
Buffy and Spike sighed before realizing that Dawnie had caught them kissing. OK, here is where embarrassment comes in, Buffy thought.  
  
Buffy couldn't see it obviously, but Dawn was smiling at the two. She could see Buffy's heavy breathing and the way that Spike was standing as far apart as he could without being too far away just in case. Oh yeah, these two were *so* into each other. "I just thought I'd let you know that Xander, Anya, and I are going to go get some food. Do you want anything, Buffy?"  
  
Buffy thought about it for a second. Yeah, I want Spike, she thought. But she figured that she shouldn't tell that to her 15-year-old sister. "Oh, just some type of deli sandwich or something should do for me," Buffy said. She was eager to get Dawn out of the room so she could get back to concentrating on Spike.  
  
"Okay, we'll be back soon." Dawn said, heading back out, making sure to close the door behind her.  
  
After Dawn had left, Spike and Buffy were quiet for another minute. "So..." Spike finally started.  
  
"So," Buffy said. She didn't move because she didn't know where he was standing.  
  
"Where were we?" Spike said, hoping that she'd say that they were kissing instead of denying it. He was so tired of that.  
  
"Well, I think we were sparring." Buffy said. She took a small step in the direction where his voice came from. "You up to some more?"  
  
Spike smiled. So, she was going to play tough. The two of them were going to dance. "That's fine. I want to try something new out."  
  
"Okay, I'm learn-girl," Buffy said. Spike led her back to the middle of the room and then backed away from her some.  
  
"Close you eyes," Spike said.  
  
"Spike, it doesn't matter if my eyes are closed or not-" Buffy tried to complain.  
  
"Would just bloody do it?" Spike asked back at her. A second later, Buffy did as he said. "Okay..." Spike began. "Here's what we're going to do. I'm not going to tell you where I'm coming from, *you* have to figure that out."  
  
"Okay, I think I can do that." Buffy said. She remembered brief fights where she had to do this when it counted.  
  
"Okay, Slayer," Spike started. "You gotta feel me out, can you? Buffy, you have to sense me...listen for the slightest sound or movement from your opponent. You have to listen to the faintest sound. Something that moves can be a demon creeping up from behind you. You can do this, just use those Slayer powers."  
  
Buffy started feeling around with her senses, listening to Spike as he moved across the matted floor. Spike silently crept up from behind her. Unexpectedly, Buffy lashed out, kicking him away before grabbing him and punching him away from her. Buffy grabbed onto him, kicking into his side. Spike tried to retaliate, but ended up pulling both of them down onto the floor. Spike tried to rise, but Buffy had him securely pinned to the floor.  
  
"Did I do well?" Buffy asked, out of breath. Of course, fighting Spike always did that to her now.  
  
"Never better, love." Spike said. And then he raised his head up off the mat to kiss his blonde slayer. Spike ran his fingers through her hair as Buffy placed her hands on the mat, concentrating on Spike and his amazing kisses. Spike's hands were running through her hair and then down her waist as Buffy spread kisses all along his face. The two were breathing heavy, the feeling of their lust and love for each other in the air. Spike wanted to rip off all of her clothes and take her right then and there, when suddenly...  
  
The training room door silently opened and two gasps were heard. "Oh my god..." someone whispered. Buffy and Spike pulled back again, both of them inwardly groaning. Once again interrupted, both of them were thinking. "Oh my god..." the voice said again, louder.  
  
Buffy thought about it for a second. "Oh no...that's not Dawnie, is it?" she whispered to Spike.  
  
Spike looked over at the door. The two Wiccans, Willow and Tara were standing there. Oh bloody hell, he thought. "No, love. That sure isn't Nibblet."  
  
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It was almost midnight when Spike, Dawn, and Buffy got home. Before Xander and Anya got back, Buffy and Spike talked to Willow and Tara, getting them calmed down enough to explain what had been going on with them. Willow and Tara actually understood what was going on and Willow was happy for Buffy. This was the happiest that Willow had seen Buffy ever since she went blind.  
  
Since it was a Friday night and Buffy didn't want to keep everyone away from all of the fun, she and the gang went to the Bonze. It was hard for Spike and Buffy to keep their hands off each other in front of everyone, and occasionally when Anya and Xander weren't looking, Buffy and Spike would steal kisses and hugs.  
  
Dawn, of course, saw everything. She smiled to herself when she saw Buffy and Spike kiss before quickly breaking away as Xander approached them. It looked as though Spike and Buffy were both back in high school, trying to hide their secret from all of their friends. It couldn't have been cuter.  
  
So when the three of them got home, Dawn muttered something about heading off the bed before going up the stairs. Buffy and Spike followed shortly later, Buffy taking the steps slowly as usual.  
  
Spike waited outside Buffy's door while she changed into some spring pajamas. "Okay, Spike, you can come in now." Buffy said.  
  
Spike opened the door and walked over to the bed, where Buffy sat. "You did a good job today, pet." Spike said, talking about the sparring.  
  
"I did? Thanks." Buffy replied. "We're getting better with that."  
  
"Are you really okay with this?" Spike asked. "Never getting you vision back?"  
  
"Well, I'm not happy about it, no. But...I can deal. I can get over this and get back to a somewhat normal life." Buffy said. "Just as...just as long as you're here to help me get through it all." She finished.  
  
"Buffy..." Spike said. "I- I'll be here for you, every step of the way. I'm not going to let you down with this."  
  
"I didn't think you would," Buffy said, sighing and leaning against Spike's frame. He kissed the top of her forehead, wanting to do much more to her. But now wasn't the time, and he knew that.  
  
"You should get some sleep, love." Spike said, moving away from her and rising from her bed. "We'll work some more on the fighting tomorrow, if you're up for it."  
  
"I always am." Buffy said. "I always look forward to kicking your ass, blind or not."  
  
"We'll see whose ass gets kicked." Spike said, before heading out the door and closing it behind him. He started heading down the stairs into the basement. Ever since he had started living with Buffy and Dawn, the three of them had cleaned up the basement for him. It was a convenient place to live. He could maneuver easily down there in the day and there was plenty of space for privacy.  
  
Suddenly, Spike heard the phone ring. Who the hell would be calling at midnight? Spike thought. He ran into the kitchen, trying to get to the phone before it woke up the two people upstairs. He got to the phone after the second ring and picked up. "Hello?" he asked.  
  
"Spike...? Is- is that you?"  
  
Damn, It was Giles. "Yeah...I'm over here watching over Nibblet and Big Sis. What do you want at this time of night?"  
  
"Oh, right...I guess it's fairly late where you are right now." Giles said. He was still in England, trying to enjoy his life to the fullest without the young people around him anymore. "I figured, though, that it would be for the best that I call you now."  
  
"Is this about Buffy?" Spike asked.  
  
"Well...we found out a way to cure her sight..." Giles started.  
  
"That's great, mate." Spike said. However, inside, he was now being twisted. If Buffy got her sight back, would she even need him around anymore? He would go back to living in the crypt and it would be like the last few days never happened between the two. What was he going to do after that?  
  
"Well...I don't know if I'd call it 'great,' Spike." Giles said. "See...there's this-this way to get her sight back, that will...will make it a most difficult task."  
  
"Well, what do we have to do?" Spike asked. "The lover Wiccans can get it in a spell, maybe the whelp can get it cornered and slam it with a wrecking ball..."  
  
"That's just it Spike. The others...you included, you can't help her." Spike said. "Buffy must- she must do this on her own. The blood, it, uh, contains an antitoxin towards the slime on the outside. She has to kill the demon, the...Skiritosh demon. By herself. No one can help her with this."  
  
"That's insane, Giles!" Spike yelled into the phone.  
  
"But that's what she's got to do, Spike. If she ever wants her sight back, she must defeat this demon by herself."  
  
"That's like suicide, mate. She doesn't have the capability to fight that much amount of power. It took me a good 10 minutes to take down one of them." Spike said. "How do you expect her to do it blind?"  
  
"It's her job," Giles said in a very Watcher-type of way.  
  
"Look, Watcher, it's bloody murder. I'm not letting some nasty get even a taste out of my Slayer!" Spike said coldly. And with that, he hung up the phone.  
  
Giles stared at the receiver in his hand for a second, thinking back to Spike's anger towards all of this. Wait...'*His* slayer'?!  
  
Spike sighed after hanging up the phone, lowering his head. So there was a cure for Buffy...a cure that would give her eyesight back 100%. She could be a normal person again. Never again would they have to worry about her running into things or not able to see anything anymore. But the price...Spike knew that this would kill her. Yes they had been fighting together, but that was different. There was no way that she could play the offensive and defensive side at the same time. Right then and there, Spike swore to himself that he wouldn't speak of this to Buffy.  
  
From upstairs, Spike heard Buffy's door open. He turned around and started walking back over to where the steps ended. Buffy walked out of the doorway and down the hallway some. She had heard the phone call and wondered who would be calling at this time of the night. "Spike?" She asked.  
  
"Yes, love?" Spike asked from the bottom of the stairs.  
  
"Who was that?"  
  
"Uh..." Spike faltered, wondering if he was doing the right thing. "It was no one, Buffy. Just a wrong number."  
  
"Oh, okay..." Buffy said, as she started to walk back to her bedroom.  
  
"Do you want some help, love?" Spike asked, starting to climb the stairs.  
  
"No, I'm okay." Buffy said. Inwardly, she was willing him to go away. If he helped her get back into bed, there was a chance that she would pull him in there beside her and never let him go. "Thank you, Spike."  
  
"Welcome, love." Spike said, turning and heading over towards the basement to get some blood and then some sleep.  
  
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	7. Chapter 7

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The next day went along smoothly. Spike watched over Buffy just as hard as he always had. He spent his time watching to see if she was having troubles still overcoming the blindness. He was torn apart, undecided whether or not he should tell her about what Giles had said. Spike was just so scared that he would loose her again.  
  
However, breakfast and lunch went well. When Dawn came home from school, the three of them hung around the house together talking and helping Dawn with her homework. Spike still couldn't believe that his life had turned out like this- he was officially a member of the Scooby Gang and an important part in Buffy's life. She had kissed him, said that she needed him around, and trusted him. He couldn't ask for any more than that.  
  
After the sun set, the three went over to the Magic Box. Dawn watched the Scoobies do their normal tasks as Spike and Buffy went into the back room to spar. Spike noticed that she was catching on very quickly to his silent motions and forms of attack. Maybe there is a chance that she could fight this thing and win. Spike once thought.  
  
"Hey, I think I'm finally getting the hang of this," Buffy said as she punched Spike away from her, listening to him slide across the floor. It seemed as though the two of them had been sparring for hours, but neither of them could quit. Sweat was glistening on her forehead and her heart was pounding in her ears. She could feel his every motion. She knew where he was going to walk up to her and attack next.  
  
"Good, love. Every minute you're getting a little bit better." Spike said. He came up behind her, gently placing his hands over her arms, running his fingertips down her skin. Buffy knew that he was no longer sparring with her, this was something else- something else that she had been longing for. Wait...me longing for Spike? her brain asked herself.  
  
Buffy turned around to face Spike. And before she could stop herself, she leaned forward and raised her head, meeting his lips. Why fight this? Buffy asked herself. Doing this is right. Tara, Willow, and Dawn think so...so why fight it? With that final thought, Buffy fully gave in, kissing Spike with a passion that she had never before dared with the vampire that used to be her enemy.  
  
"Ahem!" A voice came from the door. Buffy and Spike turned around.  
  
"It's Dawn," Spike told her, moving away from her.  
  
"I tell ya, one day you two are going to ruin my virgin eyes." Dawn said. "Ew, don't need the visual images."  
  
"Sorry Dawnie," Buffy said, trying to get her breathing under control. "What's up?"  
  
"Oh, I was wondering if I could go spend the night at Allison's house tonight?" Dawn asked. "I just want to get out of the house some tonight, if...if that's all right with you."  
  
Buffy thought it over for a second. If Dawn is gone, then Spike and I... "Okay, that sounds fine Dawn." She said a second later. "Call her and ask if that's all right first?"  
  
"Oh, I'm sure it will be," Dawn said, walking out of the room and smiling to herself. She had already talked to Allison about her coming over for a sleepover tonight. It was the perfect plan to get Buffy and Spike together again without the two of them having to worry about her being upstairs. And I thought I was going to puke in there, she thought, thinking back to the image of her older sister and Spike making out.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Late that night, Buffy and Spike were sitting together on the couch, their arms wrapped around each other as they kissed. I can't believe this...here I am, sitting on the couch, kissing the slayer as though we're both in high school, Spike thought, running his fingers through his hair. I'm really glad that Bit decided to stay with her mates tonight.  
  
"Spike..." Buffy moaned, moving her hands to rest on Spike's back, deepening their hot kiss. Never before had she been kissed this way. Spike's kiss made her breathless and yearning for more.  
  
"Buffy," Spike muttered before lowering his lips to hers again.  
  
"You know...what?" Buffy asked in between kisses.  
  
"What, love?" Spike asked, moving back and allowing her to talk.  
  
"I wish I could see you. For the first time, I wish that I could see your eyes." Buffy said, running her hand down the side of Spike's face and then down his arm.  
  
Spike didn't say anything. He knew that something like this would come up. She should have the right to know. Spike thought. There was no way that he'd be able to keep that a secret from her forever. Buffy wanted to see...she wanted to see him, and how could he deny anything from her? "Well..." Spike started. Suddenly, those words seemed impossible to say.  
  
"Spike?" Buffy asked. She looked over at him with a confused expression. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"  
  
"Buffy, I- I know how you can get your vision back." Spike said.  
  
Buffy was silent as she tried to understand what he had said to her. "What?" Buffy asked, her voice rising. How could he do this to me? After all that we've been through? "How long have you known?" She tried to remain calm, listening to see if he had a good reason. He'd *better* have a good reason!  
  
Spike sighed, knowing that this would be difficult to say. He rose from the couch and walked over to where he could stand in front of her. It seemed easier to talk to her when he wasn't in staking range. "Since last night. Uh, Giles called here."  
  
"Giles?" Buffy asked, looking at him. "*You* said that it was a wrong number." Spike didn't reply, he didn't even know how. Buffy's face of confusion quickly turned into anger. "You lied? To me? I thought that...I thought that we were past the lies."  
  
"Buffy, you are the last person I would ever lie to anymore," Spike said, trying to defend himself.  
  
"Then *why* the hell didn't you tell me?!" Buffy shouted at him.  
  
"Because it will *kill* you!" Spike shouted back at her. Buffy's face was shocked, surprised by both his anger towards her and the response she got. "That's right...the only way to get your sight back is the kill one of those nasties. By yourself." Spike explained.  
  
Buffy's features softened, finally understanding the reason why Spike hadn't told her sooner. He was afraid for her. "And you think I can't handle that?" Buffy asked.  
  
"I *know* you can't handle that, Buffy." Spike said. "You just can't."  
  
Buffy sighed. "What would I have to do?"  
  
"No...no, I'm not telling you this. I'm not explaining about how to get you killed." Spike said, shaking his head.  
  
"Spike..." Buffy warned.  
  
"You...you have to kill the demon by yourself with no help from anyone. Then, you can get its blood and drink that up. Then, you get your sight back." Spike said. "I'm not allowing you to do this, love."  
  
"Spike, I have to." Buffy said. "I'm no good this way. I can't protect anyone being blind." She had to find a way to convince him. "I need a chance to get my sight back. I need to be the Slayer again."  
  
Spike knew she was right. Whatever she said or did, she was always right. And Spike also knew that there was no way that he would stop her from doing this. Now that Buffy knew, she was determined to fight this demon. "I'm just..." Spike started.  
  
"Just what?" Buffy asked softly.  
  
"I'm- I'm afraid, dammit, okay?" Spike told her, his voice quickly rising.  
  
Buffy smiled quickly. "Aww, the Big Bad is afraid?"  
  
"Dammit, Buffy, I'm serious here! I...I don't want to loose you again. Bit would shut down, it'd kill the Scoobies, and...it'd kill me."  
  
"Spike..." Buffy started, trying to calm him. She knew what his fear was- loosing her because of something he did. She had to let him know that there was no way that this could be his fault.  
  
"I mean, you died. For the past year my reason for carryin' on like this, with this soddin' chip in my head was because of *you.* And now you could die again from this stupid beast, and I just- I just can't loose you again."  
  
"I'll come back from this," Buffy said. "I always do." She made a motion to make him sit down again. Spike sighed and walked back over and sat at her side.  
  
He stared at the Slayer, this amazing woman who was once again being forced into something that she shouldn't even have to face. Spike sighed at what she had said, finally saying, "but not the last time."  
  
"That's right, *you* brought me back last time, just like I know you would again. You'd help me get back up onto my feet and stay with me when I need you the most." Buffy said. She started reaching out for his hands and Spike took hers first. "Spike, I can handle this. Let me handle this."  
  
Spike gently kissed one of her hands that he held. "All right, love. I'll let you do your slayer thing."  
  
"Thank you," Buffy said, smiling at him.  
  
"But I am going to be *right* there in the shadows, watching you. If I even start to see that you are fallin' apart, I'm helping. We'll find another demon and figure out another way." Spike said. There was no way that she would be going to do this by herself.  
  
"Thank you, Spike." Buffy said, leaning forward and trying to meet his cheek. What she met were his lips- not that Buffy minded. The two shared a sweet, gentle kiss before Buffy sighed and moved away from him. "I just...I just whish I could take *one* look at your before I do this."  
  
"Oh, c'mon love. You know what I look like. Here, let me help you out." Spike took her hands that he had been holding onto and brought them up to his face. He ran her fingertips up the side of his face and then into his hair. "See? Remember the bleached hair? And...I've got blue eyes..." Spike lowered her hands to his cheeks, "And cheeks are here, and then my lips..." He lowered her hands even more. "Right now I'm smiling, and now I'm smirking at you." Spike joked.  
  
Buffy managed to laugh as her fingertips ran over his cool skin. And right then, as Spike showed gentleness that she didn't even know he possessed, everything was clear. "Spike..."  
  
"Yes, love?" Spike asked, looking at her.  
  
"I- I love you," Buffy said softly to him, moving over and leaning into his embrace.  
  
She...she loves me? Spike asked himself. Buffy. Loves. Me. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead. "Buffy...I love you too."  
  
"I think I've loved you for a long time now, I've just been to afraid to ever tell you. But...with this thing coming up, I need to let you know how I feel." Buffy said, squeezing his hands that were clasped around hers. "I just...I just wish that I could see your face when I said that." For the first time in a couple weeks, Buffy regretted not being able to see more than ever.  
  
"Don't worry. You'll see my face plenty of times after you kill that bloke." Spike said.  
  
"I'm planning on that." Buffy said. She raised her head, meeting lips with Spike. The two of them poured every emotion that they felt for each other during that kiss.  
  
"I love you, Buffy." Spike said, staring at her. Although she couldn't see it, his eyes were sparkling with love and admiration for the woman sitting in front of him.  
  
"I love you too, Spike." She smiled brightly. "And when I get back, I intend to show you just *how* much I love you." Buffy added.  
  
"Sounds bloody good to me, pet." Spike said, grinning at what she had said. He glanced over at the clock on the mantle and saw that it was already past midnight. If she wanted any chance of beating that monster, she would have to start off with a good night's sleep. "C'mon, love. Let's get you to bed." Spike said, standing up and helping her stand beside him. "Tomorrow we'll have a day full of sparring and preparation for you fighting this beast."  
  
"Yes *Giles.*" Buffy replied sarcastically, his tone and word choice sounding like her old watcher. Spike smiled and helped Buffy climb the stairs slowly, just as they had done together nights before. He helped her pick out something to wear before stepping out and allowing her to change. Then, he walked back into her room and helped her get under the covers.  
  
"Good night, Buffy." Spike said, kissing her forehead. Buffy raised her head, moving her lips up to Spike's as the two met in a sweet good night kiss.  
  
"G'night, Spike." Buffy replied quietly. Spike turned around and started walking out of Buffy's room. He was at the door when Buffy's voice stopped him. "Spike?"  
  
"Yes, love?" Spike asked, turning back around.  
  
"Can you stay with me tonight?" Buffy asked. She knew that right now wasn't the right time for the two of them to move their relationship to the next level, but she still wanted him around her before she went and faced this monster.  
  
"Sure thing." Spike closed the door and walked over and started sitting down in the chair across from the side of her bed.  
  
When Buffy didn't feel him approach her, she figured she needed to specify. "No, Spike. I mean...*with* me." Buffy moved her covers back to emphasis her point more.  
  
"Oh...okay." Spike muttered before walking over and lying down on the bed beside Buffy. Quickly, Spike wrapped his arms around her before Buffy burrowed deep into his embrace. She felt at peace for once, knowing that Spike would always be there for her. If she never got her sight back, he would be her eyes. He kissed her shoulders before Buffy slipped into a dreamless sleep as Spike stayed awake, watching the blonde beauty in his arms.  
  
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	8. Chapter 8

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The next day, Buffy and Spike woke up together. Treating the day as though it was completely normal, the two had eaten breakfast together, stealing occasional kisses the whole day. The two knew that as soon as they met up with the Scoobies, they would have to disband and pretend as though they were not together.  
  
Early that morning, Buffy called Willow and told her that she and Spike would not be at the shop as soon as the sunset. Buffy also filled Willow in about what she would have to do to defeat the Skiritosh. Buffy figured that she and the gang would go out and start patrolling for it around the graveyards that night. Hopefully, it hadn't skipped town yet.  
  
Hours seemed like minutes for Spike, who was dreading the moment when Buffy would have to face off against the Skiritosh demon. When Dawn came home from school, Buffy and Spike filled her in about what Buffy was getting ready to face. Dawn tried to force Buffy to change her mind- Dawn didn't want there to be any chance that she would loose her sister again. Later, however, Dawn finally gave in. The three of them spent the afternoon together, trying not to think about what was coming. Finally when the sunset came, Spike knew that it was time to go. "Ready?" He asked Buffy as he walked into her room.  
  
Buffy, who was lying on her bed, rose and stood up. "Ready as I'll ever be." She said.  
  
"C'mon, love. Let's get you to the shop." Spike said. He walked over and helped her walk down the steps and after Dawn came running down the stairs also, the three of them headed towards the town where the shop was.  
  
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Buffy, Dawn, and Spike walked into the shop. Over in the corner, Tara and Willow were talking together as Anya and Xander gathered a couple weapons for Buffy. "Hey," Buffy said as she walked inside.  
  
"Hey Buffy," everyone in the room replied before going back to helping her get ready.  
  
Spike led Buffy over to the chair where she sat down, waiting for everyone to finish preparing. Dawn followed Buffy, going to sit down beside her. Xander walked over to her, holding an axe. "Here, Buffy," he said, giving it to her open hands.  
  
"Thanks Xander." Buffy replied. She tested the axe, moving it around in her grip, saying, "this feels good. I think I can use this."  
  
"You know I don't want you to do this," Xander said.  
  
"Yeah, you and everyone else in this room." Buffy said, mostly thinking about Spike as she said that. The two had talked together that afternoon about what they would do if something happened to her.  
  
"Look, all we want is for you to be safe." Xander said. "I've seen you sparring with Spike and...and you're good, but I don't know if..." his voice trailed off.  
  
"Don't worry, Xander. I'll be fine. I can handle this," Buffy said. "I just want to go and get it over with."  
  
"Well then, kiddies. What are we waiting for?" Spike asked. He had regained his 'bad ass' attitude since he was around Buffy's friends and was trying to act coolly as possible. In reality, however, he just wanted to grab a hold of Buffy and never let go of her ever again.  
  
"Oh...Tara, can you stay here and watch over Dawn for me?" Buffy asked.  
  
"S-sure thing, Buffy." Tara replied softly. She smiled over at Dawn, hoping that she could get a smile out of Dawn.  
  
"Be careful, Buffy." Dawn told her sister, taking her hand and squeezing it.  
  
"Don't worry, Dawnie. I'll be fine. I'm coming back, okay?" Buffy said, trying to reassure her.  
  
"Okay," Dawn replied softly.  
  
"Okay, let's go," Buffy said. All together, Buffy walked out the door followed by Spike, Willow, Xander, and Anya. Buffy held onto her axe with a couple stakes in her pockets as the group headed out to the graveyards to start searching.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"You know, I don't think it's here," Anya said. "It's late, I'm cold, and I want to go home so Xander and I can-"  
  
"Ahn, honey. They don't need to be hearing this now." Xander said, sighing over her complaints. "But she's right, there's nothing here, Buff."  
  
"Maybe they whelp's right, love." Spike said. "There's nothing here."  
  
Buffy, who had been searching for about 2 hours with the gang, sighed loudly. "But- but this was the graveyard and everything. This was where we found him."  
  
"Well, Buff, maybe tonight isn't the night." Xander said.  
  
"Yeah, c'mon Buffy. We'll patrol tomorrow night," Willow agreed, trying to help keep Buffy's hopes high.  
  
"All right, let's start heading back then," Buffy said. Inwardly, Spike sighed. She was alive for one more night. One more night where he would get to stay under her roof, keeping a constant eye out for his Slayer. Spike started guiding Buffy back and her friends followed behind the two. However, Buffy suddenly stopped walking when she heard a sound to her right. "Do you guys hear that?"  
  
"What?" Willow, Xander, and Spike asked.  
  
"A noise, over in the bushes." Buffy said. "Spike?"  
  
"Hold on, love." Spike said, letting go of her shoulders. He walked over and looked behind a crypt that was a few feet away. There, he saw the demon that the gang had been searching for the entire night. There's the bugger now. He thought, walking back over to Buffy.  
  
"Well?" She asked when she heard Spike approach her.  
  
"Yeah, it's him." Spike said. "Ready, love?"  
  
"Ready as I'll ever be," Buffy said, spinning the handle of the axe around in her hands. The grip of the axe felt tight in her grip, and Buffy knew that she could do this. Thanks to all of Spike's help and wisdom, she knew that she could do anything. "This won't take long, you guys. Stay back, okay?"  
  
"You got it, Buffy." Willow and Xander replied.  
  
Spike led Buffy closer to where he saw the demon. "All right, the bugger is over there. Just...get his attention and go get him. All right, love?" Spike asked her.  
  
Buffy swallowed thickly. Now nervousness was creeping up on her. "All right then." Spike let go of her shoulders and started walking away. "Spike?"  
  
"Yeah, love?"  
  
"Wish me luck?"  
  
Spike walked back up to Buffy and kissed her, pouring every ounce and particle of passion and love that he could muster without just taking her into his arms and never letting go. "Good luck," he said softly, his voice husky with desire for the small blonde in his arms.  
  
A few feet back, Willow, Anya, and Xander were watching the scene between the two blondes with looks of shock on their faces. Well...Willow's features were more of a smirk than anything else. "What the hell?" Xander asked when he saw Buffy and Spike kiss.  
  
"Oh...they never told you?" Willow asked her friend smugly.  
  
Spike smiled down at Buffy. "Come back to me, Slayer."  
  
Buffy smiled, feeling his chest rumble as he growled towards her. However, no longer was the term 'Slayer' a cold remark at what she was- it was *who* she was. It was a part of her that Spike loved. Not to mention a major turn-on Buffy thought. "Count on it," she replied before untangling herself from Spike's arms and walking a few feet away. Spike walked back to where her friends were standing to watch over her.  
  
"Hey!" Buffy yelled, trying to get her attention. "Hey, I'm talking to you, you.... Skittle demon." Buffy paused, knowing that wasn't right. "Yeah, I'm talking to you. Why don't you come out here and face me?"  
  
In front of her, the Skiritosh demon lumbered out from behind the crypt. "Slayer..." he growled very slowly.  
  
"Yeah. You think you're all special because you made me blind?" Buffy asked. The demon growled in response. "Well, c'mon- fight!" Buffy said, initiating the fight. She heard the demon take a step towards her and before he got the chance to move, she guessed where it was standing and ran towards him.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"So...how's it going?" Spike asked Willow who was watching the fight intently.  
  
"It's going okay," Willow replied. She watched as Buffy swung the axe in midair before finding the demon and punching it away from her. Buffy swung the axe again, this time swiping the demon's arm. It was pretty much a stalemate right now- neither of the two showed signs of stopping or failing.  
  
Xander and Anya, who were also watching Buffy took the time to talk to Spike. "So, did we miss something here?" He asked Spike.  
  
"Look, Harris, don't stake me for it." Spike said, trying to concentrate on Buffy. "Just a good luck kiss- nothing more."  
  
"Bull, that was a love type of kiss." Xander said. "Please don't tell me you're still thinking about getting in her pants."  
  
Spike wanted to brag. He wanted to tell Xander that he was going to get that chance someday. That Buffy said that she loved him...that he meant something to her finally. But he just sighed and rolled his eyes before turning back around and watching Buffy fight. That's it, love, Spike said, watching Buffy swing the axe towards the demon. Just keep fighting.  
  
Suddenly, the Skiritosh demon swiped out his arm, whacking Buffy against her face. She went flying back, landing on the ground several feet away. It threw her concentration and she momentarily lost grip on her axe. Spike moved to go help her up, but Willow held him back. "No! You heard what Giles said- no helping."  
  
"Right, Red." Spike said. "Sorry." The gang went back to watching Buffy fight the demon.  
  
Meanwhile, Buffy was fighting for her life by now. She was tiring and there seemed to be no end to this. This wasn't like sparring against Spike. This demon wasn't holding back or anything. The Skiritosh demon hit her, throwing her against the tree. Buffy threw her hair out of her face out of habit and climbed back to her feet. She breathed in and out, each breath seeming to be harder than the next. Can I keep this up for long?  
  
"Slayer..." the beast growled. "Give it up. You really think you can fight me? Blind?"  
  
Buffy closed her eyes, doing as Spike had always instructed her. She felt around with her other sense. Her ears listened to the demon walk across the dry grass. She smelled the putrid slime of it's skin as he walked closer. She could feel him move with each breath of wind.  
  
"You've got no chance, Slayer. I will-" Buffy threw the axe out in front of her, throwing it towards where she heard and felt the demon. A second later, she heard a sickening 'squish' as the axe flew into the demon. With a groan, the Skiritosh demon fell to the ground, lifeless.  
  
Buffy stood in her fighting stance for another second. "Guys?" she asked, trying to get her friends' attention. "Did I get it?"  
  
"Buffy! You did great!" Willow said, running up to her. Anya and Xander followed behind her and hugged her quickly. "C'mon, let's get the blood." Willow said, turning back around and walking over to the demon.  
  
"Spike?" she asked, trying to hear him.  
  
Suddenly, a pair of arms wrapped around her waist, and she breathed in the scent of smoke and cologne. "You did great, love." Spike said in her ear. He kissed the nape of his neck, not caring if anyone was watching them.  
  
"What is up with those two?" Xander asked as he watched Willow get the blood from the demon.  
  
"Let's get back to the shop and then we'll give this to Buffy." Willow said, placing the bottle back in her bag. "C'mon guys," she said. She watched as Buffy and Spike hugged each other. "Okay!" she yelled, trying to get their attention.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Once back in the shop, after a few hugs between Buffy and Dawn, Willow got out the blood of the demon and handed it to Buffy. "Okay, here you go, Buffy." Willow said. Buffy took the bottle and quickly drank it down. She made a face and a sound that meant she obviously didn't like the taste of the blood but tried to swallow it in one gulp. "Is it working?" Willow asked.  
  
"I don't know, give me a second." Buffy said. The room was silent as they waited.  
  
Buffy blinked, trying to speed up the process. The black void that she had been seeing for the past months slowly began lightening. "It's working," she said excitedly. The gray became lighter until all she could see was a pure white. Then, colors began forming. Blurry at first, Buffy began seeing shades of black...red...blonde...  
  
Then, the blurred colors gradually became shapes and Buffy found herself looking directly into Spike's eyes. "Spike!" Buffy shouted. She smiled and then jumped up out of her seat and into his arms, surprising him and catching him off guard. Together, the two of them fell to the floor as the two kissed.  
  
"Uh..." everyone started saying, trying to look anywhere but where Buffy and Spike were. "Looks like we've missed some things," Willow said.  
  
Dawn smiled at the scene. Her sister had her sight back and, from the looks of it, a new boyfriend. A boyfriend that wouldn't leave her or even start to think about giving up on the idea of the two of them. From behind them, everyone in the room heard a 'thump' as Xander fell to the floor in a dead faint. 


	9. Epilogue

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
An hour later, Willow, Xander, Tara, Buffy, Spike, and Anya were gathered around the table talking together. Dawn had gone off to a friend's house to spend the night so she'd be out of the house. Buffy had that all planned out in case she and Spike wanted some time together.  
  
Buffy looked around herself, as though she were seeing things clearly for the first time. She looked over at Spike, who was obviously trying not to hold her hand or touch her in some way. She smiled, thinking that she had never seen him look so cute. Or hot, she thought.  
  
"So...you two are together now?" Willow asked for the 100th time it seemed. Buffy had explained to her friends that she and Spike had just...happened. Even she couldn't explain it. All she knew was that she loved him and he loved her back with just as much fiery passion.  
  
"Yeah, we are." Buffy said. "And even though you guys might not be okay with it...it's not your relationship, it's mine." Spike beamed and what she was telling everyone. He thought that she wouldn't want to tell the gang about them just yet. But here she was, telling everyone to leave the two of them alone.  
  
"Well, as long as he doesn't go all psycho on us...I guess I can deal," Xander managed to say. He had been revived from his fainting, only to faint once again when he saw Buffy and Spike holding hands.  
  
"I- I think it's- it's great," Tara said softly towards Buffy.  
  
"And your sight is okay?" Willow asked her.  
  
"Yes, perfect 20-20 vision Buffy is back," Buffy said.  
  
She looked over in the shadows behind the table and caught eyes with Spike. He stood away from her now while she explained about the two of them. She smiled at him brightly before he returned her smile with a smirk. The gang continued to talk together about something as Spike mouthed over to her, "I love you." Buffy smiled and, after checking that no one was watching her, quickly replied, mouthing, "I love you too," back over to the blonde vampire. Spike grinned evilly before mouthing, "I want you."  
  
Quickly, Buffy's eyes widened as she stood in her chair. "Well!" she said. Everyone turned and looked at her. "We'd love to stick around and chat, but I have to get home." She started moving away from the table and instantly, Spike was at her side. "I, uh, have something to show Spike." With that, Spike's ears perked up and he started walking towards the door faster.  
  
"Bye, Buffy," some people said as Buffy and Spike walked out the door.  
  
As soon as the door closed behind them, Spike grabbed Buffy, pulling her into the darkness with him as he kissed her. "Spike..." Buffy moaned, before opening her mouth, allowing Spike's tongue to enter. His hands raced up the side of her body and Buffy copied his motion, loving how this man made her feel.  
  
"Love you, Slayer." Spike said, growling in the back of his throat.  
  
"I...I love you too, Spike." Buffy said, trying to catch her breath that was heavy and labored from excitement. She looked up into his blue eyes, which sparkled, even in the night. Look at all I was missing, Buffy thought. "Who knew that we'd end up together- that it would take me a year to realize that you were love?"  
  
"Well, there were those few times that I tried to kill you." Spike said.  
  
"A few?" Buffy asked, raising her eyebrows. Spike lowered his head in embarrassment. "Hey, don't worry about it." Buffy said. "It's all part of the past."  
  
"That seems pretty good," Spike said, smiling at her. "Now...didn't you have something to show me?"  
  
Buffy pressed her lips together, thinking. "I don't remember anything about that." She said, jokingly. "Hmm..."  
  
"Well, let me refresh your memory, pet." Spike said, before lowering his head and kissing her. He pulled her closer towards him as he kissed her lips, his tongue tracing her soft lips. When he finally pulled away, he left her mouth and body burning with fire.  
  
"Oh yeah...that," she said breathlessly. Spike grinned and touched foreheads with her. Finally, she was his, and there was nothing in this world that would tear the two of them apart.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Inside the Magic Shop, Anya, Tara, Willow, and Xander were helping to get the store cleaned up so they could close the shop up for the night. "You know that they're just going home to boink." Anya said.  
  
Instantly, everyone in the room yelled, "eww!" from what Anya said. "No!"  
  
"Anya, honey, they're just...Buffy has something to show Spike and..." Xander started, trying to live in his world of denial. It was just better if he didn't think about it at all. They're not together that way, he thought, repeating it over and over in his mind. They are *not* together that way.  
  
"And what do you think she's going to show him? Her stamp collection? A slideshow of past slays?" Anya asked. "I mean, why do you think Buffy wanted Dawn out of the house?"  
  
"Anya!" Everyone yelled again. "Dawn went to see a friend." Added Tara.  
  
"What a coincidence," Anya said sarcastically as she placed some shrunken heads and chicken feet back on their shelves.  
  
"We *don't* want to hear this, Anya," Willow said. "It's bad enough that we knew about the Buffy-Bot, now that's...*Buffy* Buffy."  
  
"I mean, it wouldn't have mattered if Dawn was there or not, they still would have-" Xander tried to stop her from talking, but Anya's mouth kept on moving. "Maybe they would have been really quiet. I've heard that that can highly raise-"  
  
"ANYA!" Everyone yelled.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Buffy and Spike grinned, hearing everyone yelling at Anya from inside. Guess I'm going to have to at least tell Willow the truth, Buffy thought, thinking about what Anya was saying about Spike and she.  
  
Spike smiled down at the blonde in his arms and laughed. "I think demon girl is smarter than everyone thinks she is," he said.  
  
"You wouldn't be wrong about that," Buffy said, dreading the next time she would see her friends.  
  
"I love you, Summers," Spike said one more time. Now that he could say that to her, he was going to every chance he got.  
  
"I love you, William the Bloody...so much," Buffy whispered. "C'mon, I think I still have something to show you at home,"  
  
"Sounds bloody good to me, love," Spike said, grabbing her hand. Together, the two of them walked into the night heading back towards their house.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
THE  
  
END  
  
! ! ! 


End file.
